Remember

Prologue

Kaiji and I were friends since preschool. We grew up together, went to the same schools. He even lived next door to me. Throughout grade school, it seemed like we had every class together. It was the same in middle school. As we grew older, our ideas changed, we made new friends, but we were always side by side. He supported me in my studies to become a doctor, a pediatrician actually, and I cheered him on from the stands at his judo tournaments. It wasn't until we were in high school that we saw each other as more than just a close friend.

It was the summer before our tenth year of school. The annual meteor shower was approaching. Every summer, on this night, all the girls in my neighborhood would put on their yukata and climb to the top of a nearby hill with a park on top of it. I always made this little journey accompanied by Kaiji. We knew our relationship was more than just friends, but we weren't really certain what exactly we were. That evening, as we climbed that hill, we exchanged shy glances, but no words, knowing that something felt different. When we reached the top, we stood quietly, side by side, gazing at the stars as they began to peek through the waning rays of sunlight. Then the first star shot across the sky. They began falling, one after another, until the sky was ablaze with them. I glanced over at Kaiji, only to realize he was facing me, his warm gaze sweeping over my face as I felt my cheeks burn. My chocolate brown eyes met his deep grey ones. It seemed as if time had stopped, the world around us frozen except for the wind, tousling his spiky black hair and blowing a strand of my dark brown hair across my face.

Kaiji's hand gently tucked my loose lock behind my ear, leaving his hand to cup my cheek. "Asami..." He whispered, leaning in slowly. If I felt like time stopped before, I was wrong. It had only slowed. It definitely stopped now. As his face came closer, I could feel his warm breath on my skin. When his lips finally met mine, they were soft and warm. It felt like an eternity before he finally pulled away. When he did, a light pink blush had settled on his cheeks, making him look much younger than he was. He looked me in the eye again, this time asking me to be his girlfriend. I gave him a very enthusiastic nod before throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

It was on top of that hill where we had our first kiss, and began our relationship.

Our relationship continued smoothly as we grew closer and even more comfortable with each other. We would walk into the other's house without knocking, as if we had lived there all our lives. My room was on the second floor of the house I shared with my mother. Next to my window stood a tall cherry blossom tree, the one which Kaiji had mastered climbing so he could sneak into my room in the dark hours of the evening. The time we spent alone began to become heated, although no clothes were shed. Kaiji would usually fall asleep in my bed, his arms wrapped tightly around me. My alarm would be his signal to return to his home before his mother discovered he was gone.

Our relationship carried on like this until our eleventh year of school. Kaiji had been practicing his judo, becoming better and better. In his tournaments, he won his was through the ranks. It was the day of nationals. I was standing in the locker room with him while he prepared for his match.

"Hey, Asa…" he asked shyly, using my nickname. He'd been calling me this for a long time. He finished putting on his shirt.

"What is it, Kaiji?" I answered, a bit curious about his sudden shyness. If he was shy about me seeing him shirtless, I don't know why he would be. I've him without it before when we took trips to the beach, so why should now be any different?

"I want to ask you something. I'm serious, so you can laugh, alright?" I turned to look at him, meeting his intense gaze. He finished tying his belt before he continued.

"Okay, I won't laugh," I promised him.

"If I win nationals, I want… I want you. All of you." I felt like his eyes were burning holes in me, they were so intense. His request made something deep inside me burn with anticipation.

"Alright. If you win, I'll give myself to you. So you better win," I couldn't contain the smile that bubbled to my lips. It felt like my face was on fire. Kaiji came to me, pulling me against him, catching my lips in a passionate kiss.

Kaiji went on to win that tournament. Whether he was motivated by my promise or something else is beyond me.

That night, my mother was out on a trip with her own mother in Hokkaido. I had chosen to stay home so I could see Kaiji's match and just watch over the house. That night, Kaiji came through the window like he always did. His excuse fore being gone all night? He was staying the night with a friend, which wasn't that much of a lie.

"Did you enjoy the tournament?" He asked as he flopped onto my bed, kicking off his shoes.

"Yeah, I did. You did great out there." I sat down on the bed next to him. He reached his hand down, taking mine in his. He squeezed it gently, making soft circles on it with his thumb. When he sat up, he peered into my face. Embarrassed, I quickly turned my face away. He caught my chin, turning my face up towards him. He caught my lips in a gentle, but intense kiss. Our lips moved in perfect rhythm, one we had set quite a while ago. I let out a small moan as I felt his teeth gently catch my lower lip between them, gently nibbling and sucking. When he finally released it, I felt his hot tongue hungrily prodding at my lips, begging for entrance. I happily obliged. His tongue slipped into my mouth, exploring it eagerly. He knew exactly how to massage my tongue with his own, just to where I would forget how to breathe. Just as I was about to reach that point, he pulled away, kissing from the corner of my mouth up my jaw to my earlobe. He gently nibbled on it, before moving his mouth to my ear and whispering those three simple words that carried so much weight.

"I love you, Asami. You don't have to say it back. I just had to tell you, I couldn't hold it in anymore…" He began to ramble, obviously embarrassed. I grabbed the collar of his shirt, using it to pull him to me. I crushed my lips against his in a hungry frenzy.

When I finally pulled myself away, I whispered, "I love you too, Kaiji." The look of relief that washed across his face was adorable.

"Are you nervous?" His voice was hoarse and slightly shaky.

"Yes…"

He let out a little laugh before saying, "It's good to know I'm not the only one who is." He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to my forehead before he spoke again. "Are you sure you want to do this? We don't have to…"

"I'm sure, Kaiji," I say, a reassuring smile on my face. He showed me a smile before his lips found mine again, a renewed passion behind them. He gently pushed me back onto the bed, my back coming to rest on the soft mattress. Kaiji clumsily moved on top of me, kissing and licking his way down my throat until he reached my collar bone, hitting that delicious sweet spot that caused me to let out a small moan. His hand warily explored my sides, unsure where he could or should touch, coming to rest at the bottom of my shirt. He pulled away again, breathing heavily, his eyes silently asking permission to remove my shirt. I gave him a small nod, grateful to be rid of the suffocating garment. The cold air that hit my chest sent a wave of goose bumps across my flesh and a shiver down my spine. His lips trailed from my collar bone down to the valley between my breasts. He trailed back up to the tops of my breasts, my chest heaving with each breath. One of his hands moved around to my back, trying to release my bra from it's clasps. Kaiji's fingers fumbled clumsily as he made a frustrated grunting sound. A light chuckle escaped me as I arched my back, guiding his hand to unhook it. As it came loose, he gently pushed each strap off my shoulder, placing a light kiss where each had been resting. He removed the garment, discarding it to the floor with my shirt. The sheets at my sides were clenched in my fists as I fought the strong urge to cover myself. Kaiji yoked away from me, his gaze raking over my exposed chest.

Over the anxious pound of my heart, I heard him whisper, "You're so beautiful…" Before his mouth found my chest again. He kissed around the swell of my breast before his lips found the coral-hued tip. He took it in his mouth, flicking it with his tongue, gently sucking. I could feel a hot sensation building somewhere deep inside me. Kaiji pulled himself away, his lips returning to mine as his hands went to the button of my pants. I put my hands on his shoulders, gently pushing him away. First, he had a look of confusion on his face, which gave way to panic. "I-I'm sorry, what did I do?"

"You didn't do anything I didn't want. I just want to see you, too." My hands found the bottom of his shirt, impatiently tugging at the material. He let out a soft chuckle, getting up from the bed and pulling his t-shirt over his head, throwing it to the ground fiercely. He made quick work undoing his belt, quickly dropping his pants and boxers at the same time. He stood in front of me, giving me just enough time to admire the build he had acquired from all his years of judo. Then he was back on top of me, kissing my neck while desperately trying to get my pants off. I ran my hands from his shoulders, continuing my descent. My fingers lightly traced his abs, the hard muscle beneath his soft skin slightly quivering at my touch. Having finally removed my pants, he hooked his thumbs in the band of my underwear, gently pulling them down, over my ankles, and then finally tossing them to the floor. Our hands found that sensitive part of the other, our hands guided by the sound of the other's moans. His forehead rested on mine, both of us panting. Kaiji finally removed my hand from him, lacing his fingers with mine. He softly kissed my forehead, eyes and nose, before catching my lips in a tender kiss.

He pulled away, the passion in his eyes burning brighter than ever, he asked me, "Are you ready?" I gave him a smile and a small nod. He parted my legs, positioning himself at my entrance. He gave me a weak smile, his voice soft, he said, "I'll be as gentle as I can." He began to slowly push into me, filling me and stretching me. When he finally reached my barrier, he gave a quick thrust, burying himself in me completely. I tensed from the pain, and he waited patiently, kissing my eyelids and cheeks. When I finally relaxed, I gave a small nod, encouraging him to move. When he began slowly moving his hips, there was a slight pain, but it quickly gave way to pure bliss. As I began moving my hips, creating more bump and grind, Kaiji picked up the pace. His forehead pressed against mine, he silently mouthed a series of words over and over, like it was a mantra. The tension continued to build on itself, both of us, beginning to lose all sense of control. As his thrusts grew harder, deeper, and more erratic, he pushed me over the edge into a white-hot abyss, one I was sure I didn't want to come back from. I called out his name as I hit my climax, my hands clinging to his shoulders. As he reached his, he buried his face in the crook of my neck, hoarsely calling my name over and over. As we finally came back down, he fell onto the bed beside me. As we looked at each other, we both let out an exhausted laugh. He lazily threw his arm over my hip, pulling me closer to him. His dark grey eyes looked soft and gentle, his lips curved in a peaceful smile. Some of his black hair was stuck to his face with sweat. I reached up and pushed it off his forehead, just glad to be this close to him.

Our relationship was great, continuing like this for a couple of months. One spring afternoon, Kaiji and I had a date planned. Our dates always consisted of going out to eat at an old Mom-and-Pop diner, one run by an American couple who'd been in Japan for over 20 years, who almost felt like family to us. We were frequent regulars. There was outside patio that was open during spring, where the blooming cherry blossoms covered it. They had white lights strung through the branches, lighting up as soon as the sun set, casting a light pink glow on the patio. It was our favorite place to go, even if we didn't eat anything. After we stopped there, we would walk to the park on the hill, the same one we always watched the meteor shower from. This date was no different from others, except that Kaiji seemed to be brooding over something. After we'd stopped by the diner, we were sitting on a bench in the park, looking at the stars, when Kaiji turned to me.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a little beige box wrapped with a champagne-colored ribbon, thrusting it towards me forcefully. Surprised, I looked at him, only to see that his face was beet-red, even in the pale moonlight.

"What is this?" I asked, astonished. He quickly looked away, refusing meet my eyes.

"Open it and see, dummy," he said, lightly tapping me on the head with the back of his hand. I pulled the ribbon off and lifted the lid, revealing a thin silver band with a sapphire set in it.

"A ring…? But what's it for?"

"It's a promise ring. Will you accept it?" He said quietly, looking at his feet.

"Well that depends…. What's the promise?"

"The promise is that I'll only ever have eyes for you, and that someday I'm going to put a wedding ring on your finger," he said, finally meeting my eyes. His eyes were fierce, almost as if I could see the fire dancing behind them.

"If that's the promise, then I can't possibly say no," I whispered, a shy smile blooming across my lips. Kaiji's face immediately lit up with a brilliant smile. He gave me a light peck on the lips, taking the ring from me and slipping it onto my right-hand ring finger. He stood up from the bench, taking my hand and pulling me up with him. He kissed me again, in that same spot where we shared our first kiss.

In the middle of my last year of school, my mother fell ill. She was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. It was immediately decided that we would be moving to America, for the cancer treatment there was better and more affordable. My grandmother, on my mother's side, was going with us to be with her daughter and help take care of me. Just the thought of telling Kaiji was excruciating. I told him we needed to talk. He was at my house when I told him. I don't remember all the details of our conversation, but I remember the important ones.

When he came to my house, he was shocked to see all the moving boxes we had packed. Our home, once so warm and inviting, was cold and barren without our belongings in it. I led him up to my room. We sat down on the bed, and I took his hand, told him why we were moving and where to. The whole time, I couldn't bring myself to look at his eyes, knowing I would immediately break down if I did. When he finally spoke, his voice quivered, and he was obviously straining to speak.

"Asa… What will I do without you? What about us?" He asked quietly.

"We'll keep in touch, I promise. I'll write every day. We can talk on the phone," I said, hoping my voice wouldn't waver.

"I know, and I'll write too, but you're not answering my question. What about us, Asa?" He asked, his voice sounding desperate, "Do we break up, do we stay together?"

"Well… we can try to make it work long-distance, if you want to…" My mother called from downstairs, saying that the truck was here.

"Well, it sounds like it's time for you to go," he mumbled, looking at our hands. We got off the bed, standing together in an uncomfortable silence. I finally met his sad grey eyes, brimming with silent tears. I threw myself at him full-force, burying my face in his chest as I sobbed, my tears soaking into his shirt. His arms wrapped around me tightly, pulling me against him as tight as he could.

"I don't want to go, I don't want to be away from you, Kaiji. I love you too much…" I sobbed into his chest. I could feel his shoulders trembling, and his breathing was slightly ragged.

"I don't want you to go either, but you have too. Your mom needs you. And I love you too, Asami. I promise we'll keep in touch…" His voice was thick and strained, fighting to hold back his own tears. He finally let go of me, taking my hand in his own and leading me downstairs. The movers had already collected all the boxes and furniture except for my bed, which they headed up for as soon as we left the room. We walked outside, watching the sun set behind the hill. My mother and grandmother were already in the truck, just waiting for me to finish my goodbye. Kaiji let go of my hand when he turned to me, taking my face in his hands and kissing me one last time. When he pulled away, he looked at the ring he had given me, twinkling sadly in the last rays of sunlight. He ran his thumb over it, before meeting my eyes again. His grey eyes now had a determined look in them, along with the hint of sadness still in them, as he spoke. "I'm going to keep my promise, Asami. Whether I have to go and get you or you come back, I'm going to marry you. Don't forget me, and don't forget our promise." Kaiji took my hand once more and lead me to the truck, opening the door for me and helping me in. He pressed his lips to the back of my hand, whispering, "Smile for me," before finally closing the door and stepping away. I tried to give him my best smile, despite my tears.

As we drove away, the thing I saw was him in the mirror, standing in the middle of the road, one hand shoved in his pocket, and the other waving goodbye, a sad smile on his face.

AN: Hey guys! So I recently played Kaiji's story, and I just felt like I had to write something. Then BAM! This idea popped into my head. It's been a long time since I wrote an actual story, so I hope this one turns out well ^_^ Also, if you're reading this, congrats on surviving that whole thing up there^^^ I know I'm not great at dialog, so please bear with me. I promise it'll get better! This is also the longest chapter I've ever written. Please forgive any errors I made, it's very late at night for me. I hope anyone who read this enjoys the story and will stick along for the ride!